Neutrophil interaction with influenza-infected epithelial cells
DR Ratcliffe, SL Nolin and EB Cramer
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, State University of New York Health
Science Center, Brooklyn 11203.
An in vitro model system was used to study the early neutrophil response to
influenza-infected epithelia. In the absence of serum, neutrophil adherence
to influenza-infected confluent monolayers of Madin-Darby canine kidney
epithelial cells (MDCK) was approximately 590 times greater than neutrophil
binding to control cultures. The leukocytes bound specifically to
virus-infected cells. Neutrophil adherence to influenza-infected MDCK cells
was monitored during the course of one replication cycle, and binding began
at a time (4.5 hours) that coincided with viral protein insertion in the
apical cell membrane. Ultrastructural examination at 4.5 hours showed that
greater than 90% of the neutrophils adhered to the epithelial cell membrane
in the absence of budding virus and, at 6.5 hours, 100% of the neutrophils
adhered to the epithelium with emerging virions. The number of neutrophils
bound to influenza-infected MDCK cells was not affected by the presence or
absence of calcium or magnesium but did depend on the amount of viral
inoculum and on the temperature of the culture. In direct contrast to
hemadsorption of RBCs, neutrophil binding to influenza-infected MDCK cells
was 100% greater at 37 degrees C than at 4 degrees C. The neutrophil
surface molecules that bound influenza virus appeared to become
functionally polarized because the adherence of neutrophils to budding
influenza virus or to a virus-coated surface inhibited the neutrophils from
binding additional influenza virus to their nonadherent surface.
Volume 72,
Issue 1,
pp. 142-149,
07/01/1988
Copyright © 1988 by The American Society of Hematology
